Wonderfully does it at Westerns Laundry
Located along a quiet residential street in Highbury, you’ll probably think Citymapper has gone skewwhiff as you approach Westerns Laundry. But have faith, because tucked away within a converted laundrette, you’ll soon spot the whimsical lighting and long communal tables full of diners across the courtyard, confirming you’ve arrived at your destination.
With seafood as its red thread, the ever-changing menu is chalked onto the blackboard each day. As with many of London’s most loved modern eateries, it’s a sharing plates game here that ranges in size from smaller to larger as you make your way down the menu. I could’ve ordered everything, so some serious time was spent narrowing things down before I’d made up my mind.
To start, cured trout came with yoghurt, coriander and chilli. A fresh and light dish to make room for the flavours to come. Next was whipped ricotta and deliciously sweet tomatoes, with some basil and croutes for a crunch, alongside a plate of wonderfully silken caponata. Then, to honour their seasonal moment, ceps came with snails, mashed potato and persillade. Indulgent in a lot of ways, but managing with mastery not to become overpowering.
Onto the ever simple but sensational trio of clams with chorizo and sherry. This was the dish I enjoyed most. The sweet clams, offset by the crisped and salty chorizo, together with the tanginess of the sherry were fantastic. Baked cuttlefish came on a bed of fideo (meaning noodle in Spanish), topped by a healthy dollop of aioli. Warming and rich – it was the perfect final dish.
Although I was suitably full from such a feast, I’d already spied one dessert in particular too many times to pass it up – the choux bun with lemon ice cream and raspberries. I couldn’t get enough and probably would’ve ordered a second helping for the table had we not already ordered the plum and almond tart with crème fraîche (which was also very good.)
In a similar way to its younger sister, Jolene, here is a restaurant that exudes real charm. Fittingly for an older sibling, it seems somewhat more grown up than Jolene. Now to pay a visit to the eldest of all three, Primeur.
